When I reviewed my exam night scores, I found that many of my questions were not the types of questions that I had studied for before taking the exam. This made it tough to review for the next test. So I decided to take out my old textbooks and study online instead. There are some great websites that offer free textbooks and study guides.
Now that I had the materials I needed, I set to work. My first goal was to answer the following questions: Is HIPPI a standard requirement for all RNs? What is the difference between an administrator and a nurse practitioner? What is the difference between an intern and a registered nurse? These were the typical questions that I’d have prepared for, but now I knew the answers.
Next I went back over all of my notes and did a quick summary of each section. I wrote a few notes about the format, types of questions, and key points to review. Then I copied down all of my key points and placed them in an outline form on my page. I labeled it “HISP.” This became my “HESI” or Health Information Systems homework assignment.
I spent a few minutes doing practice sets of all three sections. I reviewed the text and spoke to the instructor about the questions. I compared my notes with the practice questions and repeated the process until I felt confident. Once I felt confident I began the actual exam. And boy did I have fun.
During the exam I was able to successfully complete all three sections without looking up the question or forgetting the answer. The only times I did look up the answer was when I had to write it down or remembered it. Because of the difficulty of answering the HIPPI dosage calculations questions, I actually managed to do pretty well on this exam! The clinical aspects of the questions really don’t require a lot of prior knowledge of the medical field. You basically just need to know the answers.
I’d recommend that anyone who wishes to take this exam take a practice exam the night before they take the real exam. This allows you to be able to answer all the questions that will be asked. It also gives you time to really review the material and get ready for the night. The most important thing is to make sure that you are comfortable with the format and that you have studied enough to get most of the way through the night before the exam.
It took me about an hour to study for the night before the exam. But I got more done than I anticipated and passed the test easily. The best part about taking this clinic exam is that it can really put you in a position to get a job in a very good hospital or medical practice. I got interviewed right before I graduated and was able to start working in a clinic shortly thereafter. I would highly recommend this clinic for anyone who’s looking to get into the medical field.
